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"Get off my shadow!"
Watching the shadow monsters grow larger and larger, from tiny specks to apple-sized creatures, Jiemma realized they were using his shadow as food to grow.
He couldn't let them continue!
With half his shadow eaten, Jiemma wasn't so weak that he couldn't use Magic. He immediately unleashed a Magic attack, intending to blast the "parasites" clinging to his shadow into dust.
However, those eyeless shadow monsters, as if receiving a command, all stopped gnawing and quickly sank into the shadows, disappearing from sight.
Not only did his attack miss, but Jiemma was also unsteady on his feet from a sudden gust of wind—which was no ordinary wind.
It was Magic!
Someone else was around!
Jiemma looked around cautiously, only to see a mass of shadow suddenly appear and rapidly expand on the ground not far away. Three figures were slowly lifted by the shadow until they settled firmly on the ground, and then the shadow dispersed.
Looking at the three who'd arrived, Lucy's face showed pleasant surprise. "Natsu! It's Noah! And Erza and Mira! We're saved!"
Noah smiled and waved to Lucy, while Erza and Mira were still adjusting to having traveled through the "Shadow Kingdom."
That's right—Noah and the two others had come through the "Shadow Kingdom," a shortcut connected by shadows. Otherwise, if they'd taken the Magic Train, Natsu would likely have been long gone by the time they arrived.
Although traveling through the "Shadow Kingdom" was fast, it indeed wasn't a place for humans. After just a short shadow passage, Erza and Mira clearly felt uncomfortable with the shadow power.
Noah himself was fine, seemingly because he had the "Shadow Queen's Blessing."
Unlike the excited Lucy, Jose, who'd previously been hit by Gajeel's close-range attack, was now sprawled miserably on the ground. When he saw Noah and the two others appear, he only felt despair.
This is bad. It's the Fairy Queen and Demon Mira, and that annoying kid without a title. We're screwed.
The guild war launched by Phantom Lord against Fairy Tail left Jose with an unforgettable memory of several of Fairy Tail's S-Class Mages.
Especially Noah—he was the one who'd beaten Jose to a pulp, causing him to lose his Mage qualifications.
If Jiemma hadn't sent his daughter to rescue Jose from prison using Space Magic and find someone to heal him, Jose would probably have been a cripple for life.
Now, with three of Fairy Tail's top combatants showing up—all of whom had beaten him before—Jose didn't think Jiemma's fate would be any better than his own.
Moreover, those shadow-eating monsters were clearly a trick used by that insidious kid named "Noah."
So strong, yet he uses such underhanded tactics. It's too despicable!
Noah sneezed. Why did he feel like someone was cursing him?
Having adjusted, Erza breathed a sigh of relief seeing Lucy safe and sound. As for Natsu, although he was seriously injured, Erza believed he'd recover in a couple of days. After all, she was still waiting to teach that brat a lesson.
Directly attacking a Legal Guild could be considered a guild war if not handled properly, and the consequences would be unimaginable if it came to that.
But Mira, who'd once received the power of a demon's soul, immediately noticed something off about Jiemma and said to a frowning Erza, "This Sabertooth Guild Master... he's got a demonic aura."
"And his demonic power's different from Take Over. It's weird. He's directly implanting demonic power into his body—that's a method the Magic Council banned a long time ago."
Hearing Mira's analysis, Erza's headache immediately vanished.
A Guild Master who violates a ban and integrates demonic power into himself through illicit means—even if he were hung from a tree and whipped, the Magic Council would only applaud.
The Council would even reward us then.
Thinking of this, Erza's gaze toward Jiemma changed.
Ever since the successful joint operation against the Oración Seis and their affiliated guilds, the Magic Council's attitude toward guilds had taken a turn. Not only did they highly praise that operation, but they also generously rewarded Fairy Tail with money and some Magic materials.
It was known that Fairy Tail always caused trouble, constantly being reprimanded or on the verge of being reprimanded.
Being affirmed and praised by the Magic Council in such a way was like a problem student being praised by a teacher. Erza couldn't have been happier, so she resolved to intensify her efforts against Dark Guilds in the future, thereby changing Fairy Tail's reputation for always causing trouble.
Noah, however, felt Erza was overthinking things a bit.
Although he hadn't been in Fairy Tail for long, Noah clearly understood one thing: if they didn't cause trouble, would they still be Fairy Tail?
Noah didn't believe the Magic Council's shift in attitude toward Fairy Tail was because Erza led the team to eradicate a large number of Dark Guilds, but rather simply out of fear of the guild's strength, wanting to appease and pacify them.
Mira didn't care what Erza and Noah thought. She was only interested in the strange demonic power Jiemma displayed.
The white-haired girl's body was completely enveloped by a dark Magic circle. When she reappeared, she'd transformed into her famous Satan Soul form.
With a dangerous smile, the battle erupted anew. Mira charged at Jiemma with astonishing speed. The latter couldn't resist and was struck in the abdomen with a punch.
The rampaging Magic Power passed through him via the demon's claw. Jiemma spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying out like a cannonball, collapsing the remaining half of Sabertooth's building.
"Too weak."
Initially, seeing Mira make a move, Erza also felt an itch for battle, but seeing Jiemma unable to even withstand one of Mira's punches, she immediately lost the desire to join the fight.
Listening to Erza's complaint, Noah smiled silently, not explaining that Jiemma was affected by the ability of the "Shadow Soldier: Shadow Eater."
Jiemma, having lost half his shadow, had already had his strength discounted. How could he withstand a full-power demon, and how could he be worthy of Noah and Erza attacking him together?
Climbing out of the ruins, Jiemma also realized something was wrong.
His true strength wasn't outstanding to begin with. If he hadn't used the power bestowed by the Demon God of War, Jiemma wouldn't have even gotten past Natsu, let alone the renowned Demon Mirajane.
But the Magic Power granted by the Demon God of War gave Jiemma unparalleled confidence!
Jiemma's hands suddenly swelled and deformed, transforming into huge and grotesque demonic claws. The living armor on his body twisted wildly, and a mad glint flickered in his eyes.
"Demon... I'll show you what a real demon looks like!"
No sooner had he spoken than Jiemma felt a tremendous force hit his chest. Before his surging Magic Power could erupt, a Magic spell had already imprinted itself on his chest.
The dark Magic Mira condensed in her hands took form. The heart-stopping Magic Power, delivered almost point-blank, made Jiemma's eyes widen in terror. Time seemed to slow down at that moment.
Then, Jiemma was blasted into the sky.
Mira didn't stop, however. She pursued him, grabbed Jiemma's ankle, and slammed him violently into the ground—once, twice, three times—until she'd repeatedly smashed a huge deep pit into the ground.